


metal corrodes with copper rust clinging to it, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing

by VITRI0L



Series: metal corroded with rust [1]
Category: Rust (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, D O M E, Eventual Fluff, Family Dynamics, Found Family, Gen, Guns, Healing, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Injury Recovery, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Non-Graphic Violence, Oneshot, Protective Wilbur Soot, i say canon but i just mean rust typical violence, no beat we die like tommy anytime he tries to talk to another player that’s not wilbur, they adopted each other as brother’s lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:47:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28742718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VITRI0L/pseuds/VITRI0L
Summary: tommy’s always been very outgoing and opinionated, but wilbur hates having to watch his brother make destructive mistakes.(Rust AU)//lowercase intended\\
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: metal corroded with rust [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108019
Comments: 16
Kudos: 272





	metal corrodes with copper rust clinging to it, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing

**Author's Note:**

> rust au, rust au, rust au, rust—

tommy had a... tendency for getting shot.

something that, as of late, was growing into something more akin to a massive fucking issue. 

because wilbur hated seeing whomever they were facing pull out a gun. he hated seeing tommy do the same, prepared to fight. 

and he hated watching tommy lose.

wil stood in front of the only windows in their house, carefully surveying the road below for any potential people passing by or deciding to raid them. logically, the brunet man knew he didn’t have to do this, that there was no one who would come by at night. but it gave him comfort to know that no one would get to the blond boy sleeping on the wooden framed bed behind him.

not on wilbur’s watch, may the Dome bless him.

it was only when the sun began to dip below the horizon did the man moved from the windows. the day had been a waste, really, as wil had confined himself to their stone base ever since tommy had gotten badly injured. so, he’d had no time to go out and actually gather resources, opting to make sure that the other wouldn’t suddenly slip away.

the wooden frame and rough straw dug into the stitched burlap pants that wilbur wore as he sat on the foot of the bed. tommy was incredibly pallid and he cuddled a mismatched quilt to his thin frame. 

there was a small smile dancing across the teen’s face.

it made wil crack a grin too.

he reached a shaky hand out, fingers brushing the edge of the quilt. 

the quilt that tommy had sown together.

and he thought about _what if..._

what if he’d never meet the blond boy that one warm day? 

wilbur distinctly remembered _the pierce of rock fragments against his bare feet and the uncomfortable clothing rubbing against his skin under the hot sun._

_“hello?” he called out._

and wil remembered being nearly _scared shitless when someone jumped out from a nearly by tree, rock held high above their head. the person, about same height as him but a little thinner, was poised and ready to strike, blue eyes trained dangerously on the brunet._

_“who are you?” he asked lowly._

_wilbur held his hands up slowly in a surrender position._

he remembered thinking, _this kid’s... he’s a kid._

_“wilbur,” the brunet responded calmly, “and you are?”_

_the teen didn’t immediately answer, instead throwing his rock to the ground and turning away from wilbur._

_“i’m tommy,” tommy said plainly, glancing back at the other, “and don’t think that just because i didn’t kill you then doesn’t mean i won’t now. i’m still considering it.”_

and though he hadn’t wanted to, wilbur believed the kid.

he ran a hand through his unkept hair, letting out a gentle huff. the darkness of night has begun to creep into the room, so wil pulled out his flashlight. he set it careful on the bed next to him, pointed at the vacant second bed pushed against the opposite wall. 

he didn’t like to reminisce, not when he was so focused on their survival. tommy, he’d come to find out, was loud, boisterous and funny, a young teen who could get excited about the littlest things very easily. 

but the teen was also very in your face and sometimes, quite insensitive to social cues or the irritation of others. he made enemies too fast and friends not fast enough. in a world as dangerous as the one they inhabited, wilbur knew it was his duty to help raise tommy, teach him, feed him, help him survive and most importantly, have patience with him.

tommy was a kid, and even though wilbur didn’t know how he’d survived before the brunet had found him, the older made a silent vow that the blond would never be alone again.

he swore it on the Dome and all that it held dominion over.

so, wilbur didn’t sleep a wink that night and managed to keep watch on the side of tommy’s bed all night. they had a code pad, but it was enough to assuage his protective instincts. 

it wasn’t daylight soon enough.

because all the fear and worry that swirled wilbur’s mind, all the unwanted memories that made his throat close painfully, they were dissipated the second the young teen coughed lightly as the sun light poured in between the cracks of the shutters.

“tommy?” he questioned gently, turning to lean carefully over the injured kid.

one eyes popped open and a groan fell from tommy’s throat. 

“wil— w-hat happened...” tommy croaked.

the brunet pulled his backpack off, placing into on the floor and digging out his last water bottle. he handed it to the blond, who was struggling to sit up.

wilbur wanted to grab tommy’s forearm and help him sit up. but, he fought the urge.

_“please don’t coddle me, wilbur,” tommy told him quickly, “i’m not a child, ok?”_

_“yes, of course. my apologies,” he’d returned with a smile to cover the gentle cracks of his heart._

“you got fucking shot again,” wilbur told him as tommy snatched and downed the water in one swift movement.

tommy gasped exaggeratedly, throwing the plastic to the floor. wil made a mental note to pick it later and recycle it when he went to the Dome.

“well, can you blame me?” he asked, glancing angrily around the room, “they were making fun of the Dome, wilbur!”

tommy scowled furiously.

wilbur smiled gently.

“no, i think you were perfectly justified,” he said. “i just hate that you keep getting hurt so much.”

tommy waved off the concern and made a dismissive noise.

it didn’t bother wil like it used to. he could see through the blond much easier now.

“i’m a big man, i’ll be fine!”

“i’m sure you will,” the brunet replied, getting up of the mattress, “but i still want you to spend at least the morning in bed.”

he didn’t know how he didn’t stumble as his stiff and no longer numb legs screamed in protest. wil got to his feet and stretched his arms high above his head, mind pounding from the sudden action.

he relaxed and let his body untense as he grabbed his backpack and put it back on, only pretending to ignore tommy’s whining.

“why, wil!”

he drew the ‘l’ out obnoxiously, but the trick didn’t work on the older man like it used to.

“cus i said so,” he said in a mock parental tone.

tommy made a move to complain once more when wilbur cut him off.

“if you do, i fix the string on your guitar today.”

tommy’s face lit up, but he pushed the emotional display back down to glare suspiciously at the older.

“you mean it?” the teen asked cautiously.

wilbur nodded and gave the blond a genuine smile that he hoped he could understand the sincerity. tommy was outgoing, but not really a people person.

but, maybe tommy did see the genuine emotion.

because he let himself smile as he slid back down on the uncomfortable bed.

“we’re like brothers,” he said, accent thickening as sleep tugged at his mind.

“don’t say that, i’ll cry,” wil joked back, snatching the bottle from off the ground.

“pussy,” tommy slurred sleepily.

“whatever, bitch.”

there was a quiet and broken laugh that managed to escape the teen before his hazy eyes fluttered closed. 

wilbur felt the fondness in his heart grow as he prepares for a day of gathering and recycling.

but first, he’d fix that string like he’d promised.

because even though they’d only know each other for a month now, the young teen had grown close to wilbur, and fast. tommy had cling to wil from the second day they’d hung out and the brunet found that he didn’t mind at all.

like rust that clung to metal, the two were inseparable.

they were _brothers._

**Author's Note:**

> they’re found family no matter what game they decide to play and i love it :)
> 
> i hope you are well <3
> 
> have a good night!


End file.
